At 14, Evanna Lynch wanted nothing more than to become a character in her favourite fantasy novel.

A meek girl living in the sleepy town of Termonfeckin, Ireland, she’d devoured J.K. Rowling’s books, longing to play the quirky teenage-wizard, Luna Lovegood. But Lynch was paralyzed by fear of failure and judgment. She’d starved herself from age 11 to “diminish” or disguise her own “weirdness” in the hopes of fitting in, and was hospitalized for anorexia.

She was such a devout fan she left her hospital bed to queue for a signed copy of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Then, Lynch heard about an open casting call to play Luna in the Harry Potter film series. “If I don’t do it, I’ll never know,” she told her mom, before summoning her courage and quirkiness to jump on a plane to London.

She beat out 15,000 other girls to land the role of Harry Potter’s offbeat ally.

Rowling has said that Lynch embodies the character, who is odd in a way that prompts teasing from classmates but is also unconcerned about what others think.

There’s one slight difference, says Lynch, now 22. She has long been concerned about what others think of her. Then, when she was launched into the franchise that became a global phenom, fans suddenly found in her example, the courage to be themselves.

There’s no shortage of questionable role models for teenagers, but Lynch’s story — about overcoming peer pressure and body image issues — is one that parents can feel comfortable sharing with their kids.

Chatting backstage at We Day California, Lynch talked about her work with The Harry Potter Alliance, a charity that draws moral lessons from the books to teach kids about human rights.

We asked Lynch about her heroes, passions, and why books make the best company:

Q: What did you admire most about Luna Lovegood?A: How she was odd, she didn’t fit in with her peers, she was bullied, but she didn’t see it as a reason to diminish. When I was young I did see myself as the weird one or the artsy one and I did try to change it.

Her character on the page was such a revelation to me. I not only thought that she was weird and made it OK, I thought she was the coolest character in the book because she wore it proudly. Knowing her and her story gives me courage. It makes me want to be bold.

Q: Who’s your real-life hero?
A: Right now, it would be Malala Yousafzai. When I was her age I was focused on things that don’t matter. So the fact that she’s removed herself from the equation and sees something so much bigger that she wants to give herself to, I admire that to no end. That’s what I want to do — get out of my own way and devote myself to things I care about that aren’t about me.
Q: What issues are you most passionate about?A: Girls’ self-esteem and body image. That was the single biggest obstacle when I was young. I came from an intellectual family, my parents are both teachers and it was all about studying and books. We weren’t really told, and maybe it’s an Irish thing, but we weren’t really told, ‘You’re beautiful, don’t worry about those things,’ and it does still hold so many girls back. When I was younger I had all these ambitions — I wanted to do art and wanted to work in film, but there were these obstacles.

Another big one is animal rights. There are so many human causes we can get involved in, but animals don’t have a voice.

Q: What advice would you give to young people who are trying to find their place in the world?

A: I think reading is very important. That always helps me connect to myself. Reading is a place of sanctity and you find characters that you relate to. The characters that I’ve admired in books, I think they’ve shaped me and given me courage.

This interview has been condensed and edited.

Brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger founded a platform for social change that includes the international charity Free The Children, the social enterprise Me to We and the youth empowerment movement We Day.

Marc Kielburger:
Marc is one of the world’s leading figures in corporate social responsibility, social activism and youth empowerment. A Harvard and Oxford graduate, Rhodes Scholar, and international ... read morebestselling author, Marc is also co-founder of Free The Children and We Day.
Craig Kielburger:
A humanitarian, social activist and best-selling author, Craig has inspired a generation of young people to be active global change makers as co-founder of Free The Children and We Day. Craig has received national and international recognition, including The Roosevelt Freedom Medal, and is one of the youngest recipients of The Order of Canada.View author's profile